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What isdLAKEl 

ITS A HOLE INTH£ 

WASH BOlLeR,S*.d 
ALOWICIOVS. 



SOLDERING 



HOW TO DO IT. 



By 



Horace Van Sands. 
Price 50 cents. 



SOLDERING 



HOW TO DO IT. 
By 

Horace Van Sands. 



Price 50 cents. 

Horace Van Sands. Publisher. 

Los Angeles, California. 

1917 

All rights reserved. 



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Copyright 1917. 

By 

Horace Van Sands, 



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SEP 15 1917 

CI.A475040 

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PREFACE. 

The value of this little book is far more 
than its price, 50 cents. 

Any one who possesses it, has a means 
of earning a good living in their posses- 
sion, also, if they never use the art of 
soldering as a means of earning a living 
the information is still worth much to 
them because they are sure to make use 
of it. 

Every boy and girl in school should 
learn to solder; every teacher should 
learn and every class room should have 
a soldering iron. 



ft I 



i 

If the chemistry is right, any one can 
solder. If it is not right soldering is im- 
possible Any one can solder, the first 
time, provided they create the proper 
chemical conditions. 

The soldering iron is copper. When 
you want to change its shape, < make a 
longer, slimmer point, do not file it into 
the shape desired, just heat -it, cherry 
red and pcund it into the shape desired, 
with a hammer, it is very easy to do it. 

If the iron is ''tinned, 7 ' on Us point, 
it will, when heated, pick up a drop of 
solder. If it is not "tinned," it won't 
even melt tin r, let alone picking 

up a drop of it, no .natter how hot it is 
heated. 

A soldering iron, unless ''tinned," 
won't work, because the hot copper forms 
a cri :st ci" tarnish on its suria - .\ which 
insulates the heat enough, so that it 
won' m It solder, but when it is "tin- 
ned" it will melt sclder and pick up 
drops of solder and work beautifully. 

Tinning an iron, consists of giving it a 
plating cf solder and here we come to 
the brick and file, also to the "killed" 
acid. 

No definition of a brick is necessary 
as every one knows what a brick is, also 



2 

a file; but the "killed" acid needs ex- 
planation. 

Raw Muriatic acid is for sale every- 
where and is very cheap. Ten cents' 
worth is enough. Many druggists dilute 
it with water. If the druggist saws off 
on you, diluted acid, it won't work. 

Now then, having your "raw" acid, 
you proceed to "kill" some of it. Not 
all of it, because you need some "raw" 
acid too in your business. 

Get yourself two glass milk bottles, 
and cut two sliders of wood long enough 
to reach to the bottom of your two bot- 
tles. Put one in each bottle. 

Next get some zinc. Zinc is a metal. 
Some scraps of sheet zinc can be bought 
at the stove store ; or a small piece can 
be bought at t^e hardware store. Ten 
cents' worth will be as much as you will 
need for a long time. 

Put some of your zinc in one of the 
bottles and pour in some of your "raw" 
acid. The acid will boil and heat the 
bottle as it eats up the zinc and will give 
off gas, which is too rich to breathe with- 
out coughinr. The open air is a good 
place. When the acid won't eat any 
more zinc, it is "killed." It must be 
"killed" dead, and the way to be sure 



3 

of it, is to keep some zinc in excess, al- 
ways in the bottom of the bottle. 

The other bottle, is for "raw" acid 
and the two sticks are used to apply the 
acid to the work you are doing. 

About a tablespoonful of acid is 
enough to "kill" at a time; but do not 
use a spoon to measuie the "ia,v" acid 
in, also don't burn ycur fingers or holes 
in ycur shirt sleeves with it. 

The reason for using wooden shivers, 
is because you have got to use something 
to transfer a drop of acid from tiie bottle 
to the job of work. No one ever uses 
glass rods for that purpose. It is not 
known why they don't, but they don't; 
though of course glass rod is the best. 

When tho ends of your sticks get 
eaten up by the acid, in a few weeks they 
will be that much shorter and when they 
get too short either splice on new pieces 
of stick, cr throw them away and start 
over again with new sticks. 

Now then provide yourself with some 
solder ; place your brick, about level 
and lay your solder on the brick. Always 
keep your solder on a brick and have the 
brick level ; then, when a drop of melted 
solder separates itself from the main 
body of solder, and also escapes the hot 



4 

iron, it won't roll off the brick, because it 
is on the level. 

Next heat your soldering iron. Ir 
don't make any difference how hot, you 
can't melt it; but if ycu get it red hot. 
wait until the red dies. The best heat 
is just before led it reached. 

"You "tin" the iron this way. Hav- 
ing the iron hot, you lay it on the brick, 
near the solder, ckan the point bright, 
with the file. Put on the cleaned point 
with the stick, some "killed" acid from 
the bottle, then with the point of the 
hot iron, you melt off a drop of solder 
on to the brick, then apply more "killed" 
acid to the point of the iron. Next melt 
the drop of colder again, with the point 
of the iron and spread the drop of solder 
over the pci: t cf the iron with the file, 
just as if you were rubbing it in, or filing 
it in. 

The "tinning" will last a long time, as 
every soldering operation keeps up the 
' ' tinning. ' ' But if the iron is heated too 
hot, the "tinning" will be burned off. 

The chemical action is this. The "kill- 
ed" acid is a saturated solution of zinc. 
The heat of the iron, causes it to fly into 
steam. The heat, however, does not do 
that to the zinc and it fluxes en the sur- 



5 

face of the iron. It plates the iron with 
zinc. 

Solder has a great affinity for zinc. 
" Great affinity' 'in this case means that 
melted solder wil fly together with zinc 
as quickly as an explosion it' given the 
chance. 

Now the soldering operation is almost 
explained right there. 

The metals to be soldered together, are 
simply cleaned by scraping with a knife, 
or cleaned with the raw acid. Then the 
"killed" acid is applied and a drop of 
solder is picked up on the point of the 
iron and applied. If the metal is clean, 
the acid right, and the iron "tinned" 
and hot, the amateur will do as perfect a 
job the first time, as the professional will 
do, and later will do much better work, 
because they know why, and can there- 
fore use judgment. 

Iron, brass, copper, lead, galvanized 
iron, tin plate, in fact all metals in com- 
mon use can be soldered together. 

Aluminum has no affinity for zinc, 
therefore it cannot be soldered. 

When a leaky galvanized iron wash 
tub is to be soldered, clean the place 
with the "raw" acid, do not scrape at 
all. The "raw" acid in cleaning the 



6 
spot, also "kills" itself, as galvanized 
iron treated with zinc. Then wipe the 
spot dry with a lag. Apply "killed" 
acid and solder. 

To solder a copper bottom, on to a 
galvanized iron wash boiler, clean the 
same way with "raw" acid and wipe 
dry, then apply the "killed" acid and 
solder. You \.ill lemember how you 
"tinned" your soldering copper, it was 
hot, while the copper bottom is cold, 
therefore it will soider up as easily as 
any other metal. 

To solder granite iron or enameled 
iron, simply break away the granite 
enamel around the hole, clean with the 
"raw" acid, wipe dry with a rag, and 
solder with ihe "killed" acid. 

Now we come to the "Tinker's Dam." 
Every one has heard of the tinker's dam, 
few know what it is. 

Dams are used to hold back water in 
a stream. Dams are used to hold back 
liquids. A tinker's dam is a dry cloth, 
with the accent loud and clear, on the 
dry. A wet cloth and melted solder 
make an explosion. The solder shoots 
if it hits a wet cloth, but a dry cloth sim- 
ply dams it. 

If the hole, or crack, or crevice, is so 



7 
large, the solder runs through before it 
sets. Arrange a "tinker's dam" to hold 
it until it sets. 

Where two pieces are very small, get 
a drop of melted solder en your iron, lay 
your iron down on the brick, then hold 
the two pieces to be soldered in the 
melted drop of solder and take it away 
from the heat of the iron. Be chewing a 
teeth pick at the time, and as soon as 
the operation is complete, cool it, like the 
Chinese dampen the ironing, because, if 
you try to held it with two hands until 
it cools and sets of itself, you are doing 
a nerve testing act, Having the water 
running an el ready is also another way, 
not so handy, because in making the 
step to the running water you will prob- 
ably step on the eat, or stumble over 
something, as you elon't dare to take 
your eyes off the job. The tooth pick 
method is recommeneled. 

Soldering the spout onto a coffe pot, 
the way to do, anel this principal holds, 
gooei all through the art of soldering : is 
to fasten it with a drop cf solder at one 
corner, then with the thumb anel finger, 
spring it to the exact shape, and spot to 
fasten the other corner: tack it down 
with a third elob of solder, somewhere 



8 
else, then look at it, like a lady looks at 
herself in a looking glass to see if her 
hat is on straight, and if the spout is on 
straight, then, smile to yourself, and 
proceed to solder it all the way around. 

When things must be soldered accur- 
ately together, tack them in spots first. 

Where they only fit together in spots, 
tack them there first, then spring or 
force together and solder. 

It is necessary to occasionally smile 
when soldering if the best work is to be 
accomplished. Men who tame wild ani- 
mals never smile while working at their 
trade, but soldering is different. 

When you go into the hardware store 
to buy some solder, if the village wag 
of your neck of the woods happens to be 
the salesman, he will ask you if you 
want hard, or soft solder. 

Wag right back at him and say 
"either," pronouncing the word 
"either" the ether way from the way he 
pronounces it. 

He hasn't get any hard solder nor soft 
solder for sale anyway and could not tell 
you what thev are. 

Solder is "'half and half." Half tin 
and half leal, specie gravity measure- 
mint, which means half and half in 



9 

hulk. 

Tin is much lighter in weight than 
lead and requires a higher temperature 
to melt it. The "half and half" melts 
at the right temperature. 

Wire solder costs more than bar solder. 
Both are exactly the same alloy. 

Soldering irons are sold by the pound. 
A number one iron weights one pound, a 
number two, two pounds. A little half 
pound copoer is heavy enough for sol- 
dering up holes in leaky things ; but a 
number two is required for large work. 

Every house has some soldering to do. 

Every house has something to solder 
and keens having. 

It requires no salesmanship to go and 
get it. All that is necessary is to go and 
ask for it. Take it home, do it, bring 
it back arid get the money. 

They will pay the prices gladly and 
be satisfied too. Anyone can make a 
good living at it, anywhere anytime. 

The prices to charge are like this: 35 
cents. 50 cents, 75 cents, one dollar and 
up. It is most all profit. 

It is worth one dollar to solder a baby's 
bath tub ; 75 cents to one dollars to solder 
a large galvanized iron washtub. It is 
worth two dollars to solder on a handle 



10 

cf a plated or solid silver pot. A neat 
job is no trick, you will be able to do it. 
If a rough spot is made smoothe it with a 
sharp knife. 

Get some cards printed and go after 
the work. All it requires is to go and 
get it, which any one can do. 
Perhaps yous local printer will get you 
up some cards. You need cards however, 
because when you take a job to do, people 
want your card. 

It requires less than $2.00 to start, you 
buying the tools, materials and solder 
anywhere. Perhaps you have a soldering 
iron now and do not need to buy one. 

It is a good opening for women, boys 
and men too. 

Get busy, get happy, make several 
dollars a day. Don 't be afraid to charge 
good prices. They will be paid gladly 
and all the future work given to you. It 
is mostly all profit. 

Yours truly, 
HORACE VAN SANDS.. . 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



013 972 765 4 



